Thursday, April 8, 2010

TIPS FOR BUSY MOMS WHEN IT COMES TO TAGGING.....

Hey Ladies. Well the sale is fast approaching and I have a couple of tips for moms who are feeling a little overwhelmed with work, kids, home and the sale. I tried the gathering up of all my pieces on a Sunday and I found that process way too stressful. My work space was cramped and I had piles everywhere. I discovered that gathering is great when it is done in small amounts at a time. Small amounts being 30 pieces or so at a time. So stop gathering and start inputting..... Hear me out : If you input these items and then take the printed tags and the small pile of clothes to the family room to cut and pin tags in front of the TV, these items can be toted immediately and then added too as you go. (Plus you will not miss your favorite shows) You are creating less piles and are handling your children's items less. Tote it and forget it. If you attempt to accomplish too many pieces in one seating you will get frustrated and may not make to much progress. If you accomplish small amounts at a time your work load gets smaller with more to show at the end of the night. Try grouping similar items books, shoes, shorts, this process also reduces your need to change fields on the computer when inputting. If you head this advice you will find your items READY FOR THE SALE will shortly out number your ITEMS POTENTIALLY FOR THE SALE.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

What Sells Well at BKGC Sales

Are you wondering whether it is worth it to lug those big items to the sale? Indeed it is!

Here are some of the MOST WANTED ITEMS: strollers, double strollers, jogging strollers, bassinets, toddler beds, dressers, bikes, riding toys, storage units, rocking chairs, glider chairs, outside toys, inside toys, excersaucers, baby swings, big doll houses and big kitchen play sets, picnic tables.

Just make sure everything is clean and has all parts. Do you have the instructions? Even better, include these in a zip bag taped securely closed and attach it securely to the item. Print out a copy of an online ad for your item showing the price new and pin it to the item with the tag. Buyers will appreciate that you have done your homework and will see the bargain in your pricing if they can see the retail price.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Pricing Your Items to Sell

Pricing reminder!
When tagging your items, you get to decide what you want the item to sell for. Sometimes this can be tricky.....we are not a yard sale - the lowest price is $2 - so make sure it's worth at least $2 or group like things together to get a $2 value!

If you price it too low, it will sell quickly but you will not make a lot on the item.
If you price it too high, it will not sell and you will probably bring it home or end up having it donated!

So how do you decided what to sell it for?

My general rule of thumb is based on 2 things:

1) the magic number seems to be 1/4-1/3 of retail with some exceptions for New with Tags, and larger toys like Little Tikes, etc.
2) ask yourself, "what would I pay for that at a consignment store?" What would make me pick it up and buy it without hesitation? If you would buy it at that price, so would another mom!

Still not sure what to price things at? Have a look at our Pricing Tips page on our website the link for which can be found in the CONSIGNORS HQ.

In conclusion, be fair...to YOU and the SHOPPER! It will be a WIN/WIN for all. You will have it out of the house, make a little money and the shopper will have found a good deal! If it is priced right, it WILL sell! Guaranteed! Things that are leftover are usually either over priced or not marked 1/2 off or were just not acceptable to begin with and slipped through inspections -it does happen :)
Our shoppers do want bargains but they are also willing to pay a reasonable price for items as well!

Happy Tagging!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

This Weeks Recalls

After a little lull there are suddenly a few recalls.

Evenflo Top Of the Stair Safety Gate


"The wooden slats on the gate can break or detach, posing a fall hazard when the gate is used at the top of a staircase.

In Canada, Evenflo® has received 26 reports of incidents, including one minor injury.

In the United States, Evenflo® has received reports of 142 incidents and 11 minor injuries such as bumps, scrapes and scratches. Also an additional two children gained access to the stairs and fell down some stairs.

Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents or injuries related to the use of this product."

Infantino SlingRiderTM and Wendy BellissimoTM Infant Sling Carriers


"Health Canada and the US CPSC are concerned that, the fabric of the sling and adult's body can press against the infant's nose and mouth blocking breathing; this poses a risk of suffocation or asphyxiation.

The US CPSC has received 3 reports that infants died while in SlingRiders.

Health Canada has not received any reports of deaths or injuries related to the use of the sling."


Graco HarmonyTM High Chair



"The screws holding the front legs of the high chair may loosen and fall out, and/or the plastic bracket on the rear legs may crack causing the high chair to become unstable and tip over unexpectedly. This poses both fall and choking hazards to children.

In Canada, Elfe Juvenile Products has received 3 reports of minor injuries, such as bumps, bruises and scratches, resulting from the high chair tipping over while a child was seated in the chair.

Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents or injuries related to the use of these high chairs."

As always check to see if your model is directly related to this recall. Complete recall information can be found at Health Canada's Consumer Product Recall site

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

BKGC Facebook Fan Page

We wanted to let everybody know to go over to Facebook and become a Fan of Because Kids Grow Consignment!

We are running giveaway! When we reach 100 Fans we will be giving away, at random, a $20 Gift Certificate! Think of what you could buy at our sale with $20! So if you are not a fan go to Facebook and become a Fan and share it with your Friends on Facebook!

We would really like to here from you so please comment on things posted.

We will be doing a few more promotions coming up to the Sale, plus posting quick how to's and other pertinent BKGC details.

In addition we have now linked this blog to our Facebook page so it will be handier for you not to go to two different places. Look for our RSS/BLOG tab on our Facebook page Although this one is a tad prettier!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Easy Tagging even Faster!

Tagging Tips for Faster Tagging!
Hey there! We just wanted to make sure that you knew you can start tagging as soon as you are Registered and have paid your Participation Fee! We really want to encourage you to not wait until the last minute to work on your tags (i.e. the night before check-in).

Here are some extra tips to help you tag quickly.
1) Before you enter in your items - sort by size and gender (then you won't have to change the category and size choices for each tag). Also, take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with the choices in each drop down menu. This will also help in Drop-off as they will already be sorted!
2) Don't use the mouse (accept for the discount and donate boxes) and use your tab button to navigate through each field.
3) For the drop down boxes (price, category, size and the # of tags to be printed), don't use your mouse either...you can simply click on the first letter or number of your choice. For example, let's say you want to enter $5.00, then just type 5. Another example is when you want to choose a category of Girls - Clothing. When you are in the category field, instead of using your mouse, just click on 'G' twice. The first time you click on 'G', it will bring up Games, the second click of 'G' will bring up Girl's Clothing.
4) Use the power tagger option by selecting QTY. - it allows you to print the same tag up to 20 times with one entry. This can really come in handy for when you have multiples of the same items, like onesies, hairbows, socks, or any items that have like brand, colour and size eg. you have 3 pairs of Old Navy Denim Jean Shorts.
5) Finally, you can just click on the Enter button on your keypad to add the item.
Now, remember, when you are entering in items, the last five items will populate in the table below the screen you are on. However, if you leave that screen, those items seem to be gone. But in fact they are not gone; they are in your item inventory in the Manage Inventory tab.

We hope this helps you with your tagging.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Stain Removal Tips

We have included some stain removal tips on our website which are accessable through the CONSIGNOR HQ section of our website. Click on the the link STAIN REMOVAL TIPS under the Consignor Info Menu.

This may come in handy should you have a few items that you shouldn't include in the sale as they are, but are darn cute. Spending a little time working on the stains could make them sale-able and earn you a little bit more $$!